How to Back Up Data on a Sony Vaio

Backing Up Data on an External Hard Drive

1. Purchase an external hard drive with at least 100 gigabytes (gb) of storage space at your local electronics store or online. These drives have become less and less expensive in recent years, and can store a ton of data. Also, for ease of use make sure that it is a USB drive, meaning that it can connect to your Sony Vaio using a USB cable.

2. Remove the external drive from its packaging and connect the power and USB cables to it. Plug the power cable into the wall and plug the USB cable into your Sony Vaio. If the drive has a power button, press it. Your Sony Vaio should recognize the external storage device once it is turned on.

3. Click on 'My Computer' and double-click on the removable drive's icon. A blank window should open. Drag and drop all the important data from your Sony Vaio into that blank window.

4. Wait for the data transfer to complete; it could take quite a few minutes depending on how much data you are transferring. When it is done, disconnect the hard drive and store it somewhere safe. Repeat the data backup procedure periodically so that your newer data is consistently backed up.

Backing Up with an Online Data Service

5. Choose an online data backup service. You can view several options through the link in the Resources section below. Be aware that most services require that you subscribe and pay a yearly subscription fee.

6. Register with the service that you have chosen.

7. Follow the instructions they will provide for uploading the data from your Sony Vaio to their secure data backup servers.